Real Madrid are set to complete a deal for Portsmouth midfielder Lassana Diarra, according to sources in Spain.
“The big players are already in the Champions League and cannot be signed,” recently-appointed Real coach Juande Ramos is quoted as saying.
“If the players do not have the quality, then we will miss them – the players have to be worth it.”
And on Diarra he added: “He is a player I know well, and I would like a player like Diarra here.”
It is reported that Real will pay £9million for Diarra and they hope to announce his signing in the next 48 hours.
Diarra is being brought in after his namesake, but no relation, Mahamadou Diarra, was ruled out for the rest of the season.
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